Vallera
by DemonessOfHelheim
Summary: A woman from Vanaheim has visions of the destruction of her homeland that she hasn't been to in centuries. Loki is her only hope against the fire giants. Can she get him to risk his freedom to help her? Will a bond form? New chapter at least every Friday. LokiXOC I don't own any Marvel characters. Rating may change later.
1. Chapter 1

**Visions- Chapter 1**

 _*Takes place after Thor: the Dark World. I'm writing this on my phone, so my documents can only be so long. Sorry. Shouldn't effect my writing in any way though. Hope you like._  
 _\- Hel*_

A world faded into view. A world of contrast. A forest, lush, green, vibrant, ancient. It was burning. Not just burning, it was consumed by red flame, black smoke, and grey ash. Tree branches fell to the earth with a sound like bone breaking. In the distance, a chorus of screams rose with the billowing smoke. A heartbeat, strong, rose up and filled the ears, slowly replaced by a woman panting. Her. It was her own breath, she was running through the flame and mossy undergrowth.

Where was she going? She had to do something... something important... The screaming was getting closer now. Did she recognize that scream? She paused to look around. She knew this forest. She grew up here. She hadn't been here for hundreds of years. What could possibly make her return? Damn.

The smoke was getting thicker, filling her nostrils and lungs. She coughed, trying to force the dense air out. A flash, behind her to the left, accompanied by possibly the greatest boom of thunder she had ever heard. She turned to look, squinting through the darkening air. Beside her, a woosh of air. She instinctively leapt away, a flaming sword the size of a great man gashed and simultaneously carterized the ground where she had just stood. She looked up through the smoke and saw glowing red eyes a good three men above her. A flash of green coming from the right. Suddenly everything was cold, far too cold, then black. Then gone.

She felt a shock run through her body. Electricity unlike any she could imagine tore through muscle and nerve, shocking her into her current reality. She gasped, sucking in air violently like a drowing victim before settling her lungs on panting. Putting her hands to her throat as if it would help with the intake of air. When she was finally wheezing, the ambient noise around her faded in.

"What. What happened?" a voice choaked out. Weak, raspy, it was hers. Her lungs screamed as if she really had been inhaling smoke.

"I could ask you the same thing!" a voice, high and breathy from stress and worry, practically panting herself.

"Hey! What's happening down there!" a bluntly irritated voice rang down from above.

"Oh nothing, just Vallera having a seizure," the concerned voice called back.

"Really? Like with the shaking and everything?" the curious voice neared. Vallera slowly blinked her eyes open. She hissed at the light, though it was only the dim yellow of a 60 watt overheard, it seemed blinding at the moment.

"I'm fine... I think," she said confused. Her voice and breathing had leveled. She sat there for a moment, ignoring her two friends' concerned jabbering for the moment. "I think I just had a vision."

The other women stopped midsentence and stared at her like she had grown another head. "A vision? Like E.T.?" the woman with dark hair asked.

The other woman rolled her eyes. "E.S.P., Darcy. E.S.P."

"I suppose," Vallera replied thoughtfully. She hadn't had a vision in centuries. Not since she'd come to Midgard.

"Hey, are you ok?" the gentler woman asked.

"Yeah," Vallera said slowly. "I think I need some water."

The worried woman looked to Darcy. Darcy got the hint. "I'll get it," she said leaving.

"Jane?" Vallera asked. "When's that god friend of yours visiting?"

XxX

The trio of woman landed in New York the next evening. They were now in the tower belonging to the esteemed Midgard warrior group known as the Avengers. There were half a dozen armed guards positioned throughout a grand glass entrance. Among the sparce furnishings was an enormous wooden desk with a lone woman typing away. She was gorgeous in a secretary sort of way. She peered up at the newcomers from cat's eye glass frames. "Names?" she asked in a bored yet professional tone.

"I'm Darcy, this is Jane, and this..."

"We don't have an appointment," Jane interrupted. "We need to see Thor."

The woman behind the desk saw dozens of daring fanatics daily. This was not the first time women had come seeking Thor, or Steve, or Tony, or any of the Avengers really. "Ladies," she started coolly. "Thor and the Avengers are very busy people. You'll need to make an appointment through the proper channels if you want to see..."

"There may not be time for that," Vallera said definitively.

"We'd call but Thor can't work a toaster, let alone a phone," Darcy quipped.

The woman fought back a sigh. This may be quicker if she called up. May as well squash all hope so these fanatics could get on with their day elsewhere. "Names?" Now armed with their names she picked up the phone and called up to an agent on a higher level. It was Jane's name and Bruce Banner's voice that gave the women clearance to proceed to the elevators.

Two dozen floors later the metal doors slid open to a sterile hallway where a man with curled hair and glasses awaited them. He held out his hand and with a welcoming smile said, "Bruce Banner. I thought Thor wouldn't mind having you here waiting for him. He's told me a lot about you." He shook Jane's hand first. "You must be Darcy," he said shaking her hand next. "And you are..."

"Vallera," she said accepting his hand.

"So which one are you?" Darcy nosed, looking him over. "I know you're not Iron Man. You don't look buff enough to be Captain America..."

"Darcy!" Jane snapped.

Bruce chuckled good-naturedly, he was rather used to the lack of recognition outside the science community. He liked having a bit of anonymity. "I'm the big green one." Darcy took a nervous step back. Jane shot her a glare. Darcy's nervous reaction phase him in the slightest. "Come on, I'll take you up." He and the ladies got back in the elevator. Bruce pulled out a key and inserted it into the elevator just below the floor buttons. Vallera briefly wondered how they were going to go up. This was the last floor on the panel. But the key opened a hidden panel. There were another ten floors. He picked the second and up they went.

This time the doors opened to a much more hospitable location. Modern but cozy, this grand room was equipped for relaxing. An enormous red sofa curved around the main area where a red headed woman lounged, flipping channels on a ridiculously sized television . She looked over the back of the sofa. "Oh hey, Bruce. Who's your friends?"

"Natasha, this is Jane, Darcy, and Vallera," he gestured to them in turn. "They're waiting for Thor."

Natasha's eyes widened slightly in realization. "Oh, you're THAT Jane. Big guy should be here soon." As if on que, a crack of lightning and rumble of thunder split the cloudless sky. The building trembled slightly from the weight of Thor's arrival. Vallera could tell Jane was trying to contain her excitement.

A few minutes later, two men appeared from the direction of the elevator. There was no question which one was the Norse god. One man was on the shorter side but stood tall and proud with slicked back black hair, an expensive pair of jeans and an AC/DC tee. He took a quick look around at Bruce and the women. "Well helLO, ladies. And you too, Natasha," he said, insinuating Bruce was one of the ladies while Natasha was not, with a suave smirk. Bruce just smiled while Natasha rolled her eyes.

The other man was tall with golden waves of hair and Asgardian armor. His eyes brightened when he saw who was in the room. "Jane," he said happily. Jane took that as permission to run and leap into his arms. Darcy seemed used to this where as Vallera stood there awkwardly. Jane seemed to finally remeber her friends waiting and pulled away reluctantly and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Thor, you remember Darcy."

Darcy gave him a two-fingured salute. "Hi-ya." Thor nodded and smiled a friendly acknowledgment.

"And this is my friend Vallera. She's been helping me with a few experiments while Erik is taking a sabbatical."

"Well met, friend of Jane," Thor boomed happily. "Uh, Thor, we need to talk to you," Jane said looking up at him.

Thor nodded. "Very well." He led the women down a hall where Tony's comment of Thor getting to have all the fun wafted after them. Once they were safely inside what Vallera assumed to be Thor's room, Thor questioned what brought them here.

Jane seemed a little nervous, like Thor would think her crazy. "Well... Vallera thinks she's had a vision. She thinks it may have something to do with you."

Thor looked the woman over. He took visions seriously. The visions of others had been very useful in his times on Asgard. There was definitely something odd about this woman, she wasn't like other Midgardian women. She had long, straight, white hair that shone like a waterfall of silver ending at her waist and large eyes of the darkest green. She was as pale as the moon and had a delicate looking face as though she were a porcelain doll.

She took a breath through pale lips before she started. "I'm from Vanaheim." Darcy's confused look spoke volumes. "I'm one of the Vanir. Vanaheim is much like Asgard."

"We warred with them centuries ago but have since made peace," Thor elaborated.

"Wait. So you're from space too?" Darcy exclaimed. Vallera nodded and explained her vision to Thor. All listened curiously.

After a moment of contemplation, Thor spoke. "It sounds like an attack from Muspelheim."

"The realm of the fire giants," Vallera clarified for the Midgardians. "Why would they attack Vanaheim?"

"I don't know, but we must tell my father." Thor was sworn protector of the Nine Realms. If there was to be war, or a massacre by the sound of it, he had to do everything in his power to stop it. From the thunder in Vallera's vision it seemed he was destined to help anyway. But the green flash and the extreme cold... That sounded familiar, but the only one he knew to have powers like that was dead. Wasn't he? Maybe it was just the guilt weighing on his heart that made him think of his brother. Maybe...

XxX

 _*Sorry no Loki yet. Setting things up. I'm gunna try to post weekly. New chapter every Friday. I have more written than posted, hopefully that way I can meet my deadline even if I hit some writers block. Think I'll post the second chapter now so people can get a feel for the story right away. Please review, it'd make me happy. Maybe earn the readers a double chapter post ;)_  
 _\- Hel*_


	2. Chapter 2

**Visions- Chapter 2**

After saying their goodbyes, Thor and Vallera stood on the helicopter pad at the top of the Avengers tower. Jane and Darcy watched from the door. Bruce and Tony had welcomed them to stay and to check out the labs while Thor and Vallera were away. Thor looked to the sky and called out to Heimdall and the Bifrost swept them through the cosmos to Asgard. Their greeting with Heimdall was brief as they were in a rush to see the Allfather.

Finally, in a newly restored golden throne room, Vallera looked upon Odin, King of Asgard, the Allfather. His head rest his hand, heavy with responsibility and burdened with the grief of a lost son and his lost love. Odin had heard strange tales of himself praising Thor and running Asgard from his throne while he had locked himself away in his grief. He never dared question it for fear of looking weak or insane. If he looked weak, his kingdom would fall. If it was himself governing his land even in his weakened mental state or some pretender, he was secretly grateful. All together they had done a pretty fair job in his absence. Any mistakes or misjudgments had been passed off as the king mourning and understandably so.

He turned his good eye on his son and a silver haired woman. A Vanir if he wasn't mistaken. He straightened himself and looked down to his son. "Thor," he greeted.

Thor knelt and bowed his head. The woman followed suit, curtsying gracefully as befit a lady of noble bearing. Perhaps his son had chosen another suiter. A father could only hope. His son's relationship with the Migardian woman would only end in heartbreak. They had such short lives. Thor looked up from his bent knee. "Father, I have come with Vallera of Vanaheim. She has come to me with a troubling vision."

Odin nodded, "Proceed." Vallera stood, a little nervous, before the King and recited her vision for him. Odin drank the information in. "It sounds like an attack from Muspelheim," Thor said.  
Odin nodded his heavy head. "I will send my ravens. Perhaps they can gather more information," Odin decided, rising from his throne.

"Father," Thor started hesitantly. "The green flash and the cold..." he dare not finish his thought. Odin hummed thoughtfully. "Yes. I wondered that myself," he said, knowing where Thor's train of thought was going.

Vallera looked back and forth between the two men. "My lords?" she questioned, using manners she hadn't used in nearly a millennia.

"Loki," Thor said rising to his feet.

XxX

It had been three days since Odin had sent his ravens out for information. Vallera had wandered around the palace hopelessly, getting reaquainted with noble life. How she hated it.

There was reason she left home. Once a princess of Vanaheim, her older brother in line for the throne, she was cursed with the life of a lady. Eating, dressing, walking, sleeping, even bathing in the proper dictated manner. To live as if everyone was always watching, which they usually were. Any slight mistake was instantly punished for reflecting their house poorly. Vallera used to sneak away from the castle as night to wander in the dense forests outside the walls.

There the trees were far older than their race, reaching up to block out the sky with their leaves. During the day, everything was bathed in pale green light from the sun shining through the translucent leaves of the highest level. It was said the ancient trees of Vanaheim outgrew even the mountains. Lower down, the world was covered in moss, fallen leaves, and all lush greenery imaginable. The bark of the ancient trees, the sparce places you could actually see bark, was the deep black that penetrated the shadows of the forest at night. Small pale white flowers grew in abundant patches. Smaller trees of varying height and age added volume to the forest.

Vallera spent her nights exploring and familiarizing herself with the various fauna of the forest. The enormous deer that put Midgardian moose to shame. The agile black or furry spotted wild cats of the branches. Bear sized wolves that stalked the enormous deer in large packs. Wild boar the size of an ox with tusks thick and hard like branches and tips as sharp as swords. Small game like rabbit and squirrel. And countless birds and reptiles of all color and size. She had a secret place, out there in the wood, a cave made of tree trunks and vines where she would practice her magic.

The Vanir were a people of nature, beauty, and magic. But magic was to come last for a lady. She had more important things to do like perfect her needlepoint or musical instrument, entertaining guests, or being presented in front of potential suitors. Gods she was glad to be rid of that place. A prisoner of her birth. But how she missed that forest. She was jerked from her thoughts by Thor's presence. Vallera had been sitting in the garden of the palace courtyards, it was where she had spent most of her time of Asgard.

"Vallera," Thor greeted. He had no idea of her birth or her house, yet. She was dreading the day that information would become relevant. She nodded in response. "My father's ravens have gathered some information. There are reports of Muspelheim gathering an army," he began. That information was to be expected. Thor hesitated before saying the next, "There... are also reports of Loki. Brief sightings that no one can be sure of." Vallera's heart went out to him. Of her family, she missed only her brother. She couldn't imagine his death let alone finding out that he may have risen from the dead. "Loki's magic and trickery is powerful. He could remain hidden forever if he so wished."

"What if I looked for him? He clearly doesn't wish to found by you, your father, or anyone from Asgard. He'd end up back in prison. But if someone unrelated to you or your realm happened to find him..."

Thor was uneasy about this plan. His brother, much as he loved him, was dangerous. And did indeed belong in a cell. That, and he didn't really have faith in the power of a Vanir woman he knew nothing of and had know only a few days. None the less, she had a point. And it did seem they had need of a frost giant's powers, and there was no possible way of getting any of them to cooperate. No. Loki was needed and he he did not wish to be found. Finally, Thor nodded. "Fine. Heimdall can take you to where he was last seen."

Vallera shook her head. "No. I cannot be associated to you or Asgard in anyway. I'll take my own path." Thor did not question her further. She was right. It was best they were not associated. They smiled and said their goodbyes. Vallera went to the room she'd been sleeping in and waited. She'd steal away that night.

XxX

* XxX

It had been three days since Odin had sent his ravens out for information. Vallera had wandered around the palace hopelessly, getting reaquainted with noble life. How she hated it.

There was reason she left home. Once a princess of Vanaheim, her older brother in line for the throne, she was cursed with the life of a lady. Eating, dressing, walking, sleeping, even bathing in the proper dictated manner. To live as if everyone was always watching, which they usually were. Any slight mistake was instantly punished for reflecting their house poorly. Vallera used to sneak away from the castle as night to wander in the dense forests outside the walls. There the trees were far older than their race, reaching up to block out the sky with their leaves. During the day, everything was bathed in pale green light from the sun shining through the translucent leaves of the highest level. It was said the ancient trees of Vanaheim outgrew even the mountains. Lower down, the world was covered in moss, fallen leaves, and all lush greenery imaginable. The bark of the ancient trees, the sparce places you could actually see bark, was the deep black that penetrated the shadows of the forest at night. Small pale white flowers grew in abundant patches. Smaller trees of varying height and age added volume to the forest.

Vallera spent her nights exploring and familiarizing herself with the various fauna of the forest. The enormous deer that put Midgardian moose to shame. The agile black or furry spotted wild cats of the branches. Bear sized wolves that stalked the enormous deer in large packs. Wild boar the size of an ox with tusks thick and hard like branches and tips as sharp as swords. Small game like rabbit and squirrel. And countless birds and reptiles of all color and size.

She had a secret place, out there in the wood, a cave made of tree trunks and vines where she would practice her magic. The Vanir were a people of nature, beauty, and magic. But magic was to come last for a lady. She had more important things to do like perfect her needlepoint or musical instrument, entertaining guests, or being presented in front of potential suitors. Gods she was glad to be rid of that place. A prisoner of her birth. But how she missed that forest.

She was jerked from her thoughts by Thor's presence. Vallera had been sitting in the garden of the palace courtyards, it was where she had spent most of her time of Asgard. "Vallera," Thor greeted. He had no idea of her birth or her house, yet. She was dreading the day that information would become relevant. She nodded in response. "My father's ravens have gathered some information. There are reports of Muspelheim gathering an army," he began. That information was to be expected. Thor hesitated before saying the next, "There... are also reports of Loki. Brief sightings that no one can be sure of." Vallera's heart went out to him. Of her family, she missed only her brother. She couldn't imagine his death let alone finding out that he may have risen from the dead. "Loki's magic and trickery is powerful. He could remain hidden forever if he so wished."

"What if I looked for him? He clearly doesn't wish to found by you, your father, or anyone from Asgard. He'd end up back in prison. But if someone unrelated to you or your realm happened to find him..."

Thor was uneasy about this plan. His brother, much as he loved him, was dangerous. And did indeed belong in a cell. That, and he didn't really have faith in the power of a Vanir woman he knew nothing of and had know only a few days. None the less, she had a point. And it did seem they had need of a frost giant's powers, and there was no possible way of getting any of them to cooperate. No. Loki was needed and he he did not wish to be found. Finally, Thor nodded. "Fine. Heimdall can take you to where he was last seen."

Vallera shook her head. "No. I cannot be associated to you or Asgard in anyway. I'll take my own path." Thor did not question her further. She was right. It was best they were not associated. They smiled and said their goodbyes. Vallera went to the room she'd been sleeping in and waited. She'd steal away that night.

XxX

 _* Ok, so no Loki again. Sorry. He's in the next one, I promise. Just trying to make the story flow naturally. Please review. I know I posted the last chapter on a Thursday, I wasn't really thinking. See you next Friday!_  
 _\- Hel*_


	3. Chapter 3

**Visions- Chapter 3**

Niflheim, the oldest of the Nine Realms. Nothing but towering mountains, steep trenches, snow, stone, and mist. Everything was white and grey and dark. Dark like winter twilight that would never end. A sparce few mortals and creatures dare live here. The ones who did lived in the mountains, closer to the sun where small brittle trees and shrubs grew. The emptiness here was consuming and the cold settled so deep in her bones that she feared she'd never feel warm again. Vallera pulled the thick white furs she purchased before coming tight around her. She had to get to the nearest city quick. If she was exposed come nightfall she'd freeze to death in minutes. After trudging through snow and mist and silence for the vast part of the day, Vallera finally heard the sounds of a town. Shortly after, a wooden wall rose in front of her in the mist. She followed the wall until she found a gate and knocked. A slot slid open and dark eyes peered out. "State your name and buisness," a voice barked from behind the wall.

"Vallera of Vanaheim. I seek shelter for the night."

"Where do you travel?"

"I'm seeking an old friend." The panel snapped shut. A few breaths later, the gate shuffled open. Inside the wall was a good sight warmer. The wall blocked the wind and kept in some smoke and heat from everyone's fires. The man whom the dark eyes belonged to pointed out the inn. It was actually a very large town for Niflheim. Possibly five to six hundred mortals within its walls. The streets were mostly empty. Only people going from one building to another, no loitering or talking outside in cold like this. Everyone wrapped in thick furs.

Vallera decided to get a room at the inn first before checking local gathering places for Loki. She wasn't really sure how she was to go about finding him. Yes she could see if someone wore a glamour but she didn't know how to tell which one was Loki. She only had Thor's description to go on.

Well, she would figure that out when she came to it. Entering the inn, she discovered the lower floor was a tavern. It was busy for a small town. Nearly every man and plently of women too were there, drinking, singing, eating, and laughing. Not much to do in a town like this except drink and fuck. She guessed their marital honors where looser in a civilization such as this. Just by coming in the door, she drew the attention of half the men in the place. Vallera ignored the looks and went to talk to the bar tender/inn keeper. She was a large and busty woman, half spilling out her shirt with hair like fire tied loosely up. She put a hand on her hip and an elbow on the bar. "Pick your poison, darlin'," she said in a friendly tone.

"Half a pint and a room for the night." She had no reason to go looking elsewhere tonight. With half the town here and the sun finally beyond the horizon, this was the most likely spot he'd be if he was here. The last sighting of Loki had been here four days ago. Before that it had been months so she hoped he was still around. She didn't have months to find him.

She sat at the bar as the tended handed her a half pint of ale and a key. Vallera sipped on her ale, trying to blend in. It was warm inside. With a fire on each wall going and the two hundred or so bodies heating the place, most had stripped down from their furs to leather clothing. Beneath her white fur cloak, Vallera used magic to change her clothing to a black leather tank with matching pants tucked into black leather and grey fur boots. She removed her cloak and hung it behind her on the chair. Now she blended in about as well as she could with hair like liquid silver. Too late to change it now though, people had already seen her. Vallera scanned the room. Taking in the faces around her. There were a few travelers wearing a glamour, but not many.

She ignored various drunken attempts to seduce her as she examined each of the glamours and those casting them. But finally her lack of interest in any man started to draw attention. A group of more brazen men, probably the alphas of this bunch, had surrounded her. Feeling uncomfortable, she tried to focus on her ale. Her attempts to block them with body language failed when one put a calloused in her hair and brought it to his nose taking a deep whiff. "Mmm, ain't smelled nothin' like you in a long time," the man's deep voice growled. Vallera tried to ignore him. She really didn't want to cause any scene that may scare Loki off. Three other men, as large and gruff as the first, had surrounded her and joined in, caressing her hair, making suggestive comments, standing far too close. The bar tender had noticed the men's agressive advances and came over to try to break them up.

"Look, boys, the lady is just trying to have a drink. You don't need to jump every new piece of meat comin, through the door," she spat at them, wiping down a glass. This barely slowed the men down.

"I apologize, good sirs, but I am spoken for," she bluffed. They backed off a moment as if to consider. When they leaned back in she continued, "I'm not sure what the vows here contain but ours are strict. I cannot break them if I wanted."

XxX

Across the bar, one of the disguised travelers had been watching. He had seen every face in here before but he was wary around any new comer. Never know who they are or what they're seaking. And at the end of the universe there wasn't much to find. Except him. They could find him. Take him back. Lock him up. No. He wasn't going back but it was unlikely they would send only a woman after him.

None the less, he watched. Admittedly, she was quite the vision. Waist length, gleaming, silver hair curled from the wet air outside. A soft, pale face with large, dark eyes. Pale pink lips, she looked fragile. He had been working on the same drink the whole night. It had been more a prop than a refreshment. The woman was doing the same. And looking. What was she looking for? Maybe it was him after all. But then again, she really was just a lone woman.

He saw the men come and go. Each trying their advance on the newest treat. He briefly wondered how long it would take the petit woman to break. Ignoring her once more, he wandered in his thoughts. He was brought back but some ruckus over by the bar. The tavern wench had been trying to defend the silver woman while the woman tried to talk the men away. Was she being polite for a reason? Most women would be yelling or have thrown a slap or two. She must have wanted to avoid attention. Suspicious, but still not concering.

He almost felt for the woman, all that unwanted attention. He himself had avoided as much attention as possible since leaving home. The volume had taken a sudden upturn. He looked to the bar to see the woman had a dagger in her hand and one of the men laying on the floor, clutching his bleeding throat. He had heard her mention something about being promised to someone. Maybe he'd come help her out.

A few cuts later he decided her promised wasn't here, if he ever existed. He was slightly impressed. The woman handled the dagger well, not expertly, but well enough he supposed. The volume grew again as another man was cut down. Damn. He'd been hoping for a quiet night. Purhaps he should break the fight up... What the hell, mind as well end it. Quiet things down. All the shouting was rather irritating.

The tall, lean man rose and made his way to the bar in long strides. "Ah! There you are, beloved. I've been searching everywhere," he belted joyously, in a way he conjured memories of his brother to imitate. He grabbed the woman and planted a confident kiss on her lips. "Come, dearest. It is getting late."

Vallera was awe struct by the audacity of this random man at first, but as he continued to talk she understood that he was trying to save her. Any excuse to get away from this hoard. She gladly accepted the stranger's arm and let him lead her to a room upstairs. He opened the door and gestured a 'ladies first' with his hand as gallantly as any proper betrothed man would. He shut and locked the door behind him. Vallera gripped her dagger tighter when she heard the lock.

"Relax," the man said annoyed. "I have no interest in taking you." Vallera narrowed her eyes in disbelief, but she didn't want to offend him right away, she had noticed he was one of the travelers wearing a glamour. As he stood right now, he was tall and scrawny with a mop of brown hair and dark brown eyes and a spatter of freckles.

"May I know your name?"

"No."

"I wish to thank you properly," she smiled sweetly.

"You have done so." Ok, manners weren't working. Might as well try magic. With a wave of her slender hand, she pulled down his glamour, revealing an angular face, green eyes, and slicked back shoulder-length black hair. The man underneath was taller and slender, but a far cry from the scrawny man she had just seen. Though she had suprised the man, he hadn't expected she was anything other than mortal, he hid it with a wicked smirk.

"Loki," she said. More a statement than a guess.

"Well done," he hissed in a mocking tone. "What now, little one? You're going to spirit me back to Asgard? Lock me away where I belong?" he teased scornfully.

"I need you."

He cocked his head and stalked towards her. "Need me? Why, whatever for?" he hid his curiosity in his mockery. Creeping ever closer, looming over her.

She couldn't help backing away when he got to close. There was satisfaction in those green eyes in the uncomfortable feeling he was giving her. "Vanaheim is going to be raided by Musplheim," she said, her voice stronger than her current actions.

"And this is some concern of mine?" His smirk was unrelenting.

She had backed into the wooden footboard. Her hands felt around behind her as if to confirm her theory. She had to stand her ground now. "I am Vallera, daughter of Njord, King of the Vanir. Help us and we can protect you," she bluffed.

Loki's smirk turned to a real smile and he chuckled. "I am the Father of Lies. And you, little one, do not lie well." Damn. "Besides, King Njord is dead," he delighted in telling her.

Vallera was shocked for a moment the shook it from her head. All the better. "Then my brother Freyr is king. The odds of striking a deal are all the greater."

So she had a grievance with her father. Interesting. The news of her father's demise had hardly phased her. He straightened his posture and clasped his hands behind his back in a less intimidating, more thoughtful posture. "What makes you think there will be an attack?" Vallera told him of her vision, leaving out the thunder. The green flash at the end certainly sounded like it could be him. And it made sense, get a frost giant that's not a frost giant. Perhaps he could take her up on her offer. Best case he could live free in a habitable environment for a while. Worst case, he kills the Vanirian woman and finds a new spot to lay low. "Very well. We'll leave at dawn."

XxX

 _*Hope you liked the chapter, Loki's finally here. Please review._

 _-Hel*_


	4. Chapter 4

**Vallera- Chapter 4**

They left the next day. After another day in the snow, which didn't seem to phase Loki, they had made it to one of Loki's secret paths that led them to the caves of Nidavellir, home of the dwarves. Loki cast a glamour to appear as a dwarf with a thick black beard, beady eyes, and a plump nose. Vallera followed suit and became a thick dwarf woman with a tangle of auburn hair. "Roth," he gestured to himself. "Landa," he gestured to her, declaring their fake names. Vallera didn't argue and followed Loki. He seemed to know where he was going. Sure enough, they soon emerged in a large underground city with walls of pollished stone and a glimmering castle in the center of a hollowed out mountain.

"Roth!" a voice boomed against stone walls. A merry and very pudgy dwarf greeted with a hearty smack on Loki's shoulder. "And this must be the wife. Landa right? Simply stunning," the dwarf complimented. Vallera assumed Loki must have spent time here before and made up a background involving a fake wife.

A large smile crossed Loki's dwarf face. "Dunda, my friend! It has been too long. How is Sugra?"

"Good. Good. As much a spirited bitch as ever, but gods I love her!" the dwarf men shared a chuckle. "How go the Eastern mines?"

"Fine. We had a small collapse about a fortnight ago. A good man lost his leg but no lives lost," Loki charmed. Vallera was impressed. He truly was Father of Lies. She wondered if he had a persona everywhere he went.

"Good to hear! Come. Join me for mead!" Dunda commanded merrily. He ushered the couple into a nearby home cut into the mountain. Inside was rather cozy with polished walls and padded woolden furniture. Just beyond an empty living room, there was a dining room with a long wooden table packed full of dwarf men. They were laughing and yelling and swiging down mead. A lone blonde dwarf woman served the men with a smile. She guessed that was Sugra as she greeted Dunda with a kiss.

"Roth! Good to see you, lad. Any friend of my husband is welcome here," the dwarf maiden said cheerfully with a friendly kiss on Loki's fake cheek. "You must be Landa. So good to meet you. Roth has told us so much about you."

That made Vallera a little nervous. How was she going to live up to a character she didn't know. "Only good things I hope," she said patting her "husband's" back. "Go, woman. Help Sugra in the kitchen," Loki said, giving her a swift swatt on the ass.

Vallera smacked his cheek. "You best mind your tone or you'll be sleeping alone tonight," she scolded with hands on her hips. This earned a round of roaring laughter from the dwarf men.

"Got yourself a good one there!" one called.

Dunda slapped "Roth's" shoulder again. "She's everything you said," he praised. After a late night of dwarfish merriment, they retired to one of Dunda's many guest rooms.

Loki had brought up staying at an inn but Sugra wouldn't hear of it. With the thick wooden door shut behind them and stone walls around them, the room was all but sound proof. They let their glamours drop. "I'm surprised, Loki, that you would make such friends."

Loki scoffed. "A ruse." He turned to her, expression darkening. "If you ever strike me again..."

"A ruse," Vallera mocked. This earned a laugh from Loki. The daring of this woman to mock him so, it was amusing. "Come now, Loki. It's hard to be around such merriment without it infecting you a little." Loki merely rolled his eyes. Vallera narrowed her eyes and smirked. Walking towards him she teased, "Admit it, God of Mischief, you had some fun."

"Hardly," he said sternly.

"It sure looked like you were having fun."

"God of Lies," he reminded her with a cocky smile.

"And what is mischief without a little fun?" They stared eachother down a moment then Vallera decided to give in for the night. She had to stay on his good side. She grabbed a pillow and blanket off the bed and offered to sleep on the chair in the room. It was a rather large chair for a dwarf, a bit small for a full-sized person to curl up in. She got as comfortable as she could and fell into a tenative sleep.

XxX

Vallera was in the burning forest again. She had just leapt away from the enormous flaming sword. She looked into the red eyes high above her. A flash of green to her right. Everything around her froze. Vallera looked to the sorce of the green light, she froze in her tracks. There, she saw Loki, fully armored and helm dawned, a long, intricate, golden scepter in his hands. Something was different though. His face. His face had gone blue with thin, raised lines and his eyes were red. Not a flaming red like the eyes above her, but the pale red of blood beneath ice. A determined expression was etched on his brow, his eyes locked on the beast towering above them.

Vallera peered through the smoke and a man shaped mountain. His skin was a dark orange-red color. A mop of ragged black black hair flopped atop his head and his eyes were two hot coals in his face. His mouth opened in a war-cry revealing blunted teeth through the tangled black nest that was his beard. He rose his great flaming sword above his head, preparing to strike. Vallera heard something to her right. She turned and saw Loki's scepter starring at her. He blasted her with a wave of energy, sending her flying. She crashed hard into a tree.

For a moment, Vallera thought Loki betrayed her. But then the flammimg sword crashed to the ground where she had been. It swung for Loki who was focusing on shooting a green beam of frozen energy up at the giants head. Vallera tried to call out to him, she had to warn him, but nothing came out. Damn. This was a vision. You have no control in a vision. Just as the sword was about to cut into Loki's side, she felt something hard strike her face and everything was black.

"Wake UP, foolish girl!" she heard someone roar above her. Another hard strike to her face, the other cheek this time. It was a slap, she realized. Someone slapped her. Twice apparently. Vallera forced her eyes open and saw the face of Loki above her. Was he worried or irritated? She was too out of it to tell. "What is the matter with you?" he demanded.

She put a hand to her head. "A vision."

"Do you always shake like a dying fish when you have them?" he snapped. Was he worried?

"I guess. When I'm away from Vanaheim at least. I didn't always have this problem." She pushed herself up to a sitting position. Vallera was on the bed, Loki standing beside looking down on her. Her head was throbbing. She reached back and felt a large lump. When she pulled her hand away, her finger tips were wet with blood.

"You fell to the floor when you started shaking," Loki explained. He must have put her on the bed to keep her from splitting her skull on the stone floor. Vallera felt the back of her head again. There was a small split in the lump. It wasn't bad, but head wounds are always quick to bleed. Loki smacked her hand away. "Quit playing with it, fool." Vallera glared but her expression quickly turned apprehensive when Loki reached for her. She leaned away. He snatched her wrist with one hand and pulled her to him. The other hand he lay on the back of her head. She felt a cooling sensation then the pain vanished. Vallera reached back and realized she'd been healed.

"Thank you," she said, looking at the hand on her wrist rather than at the face of the man who healed her. His hand was large and pale, though darker than her own skin. It was cold, too. Not terribly so, but cold like someone who had been outside in winter air.

Loki released her. "Come. We must leave," he said, refusing to acknowledge her thanks.

XxX

 _*So obviously Loki doesn't know how to handle a seizure. If somone is seizing, don't slap and yell at them lol. Hope you enjoyed chapter 4. Please review._

 _\- Hel*_


	5. Chapter 5

**Vallera - Chapter 5**

They had left before Dunda and Sugra awoke that morning and ended up in Vanaheim. Vallera instantly recognized the forest around her. They weren't far from her brother's castle and the surrounding city. They arrived outside enormous wooden gates a few hours later. The walls surrounding the castle were thick stone covered in moss. Vallera hesitated at the gates. Loki noticed and looked at her curiously. "You fear a gate?" he taunted.

"I haven't been here in over eight hundred years," she admitted.

"You evaded them for that long?"

"I don't think they ever looked."

"The king's daughter vanishes and they don't think to look?"

"I wasn't exactly a model princess," she said with disdain.

"Are we going in or did you bring me here to admire the gate?" Vallera shot Loki an unamused glare. He smirked in return. They entered under the watch of armed guards. After being led through the streets, the whispers of patrons following them, they arrived outside the throne room. The ornate wooden doors opened to reveal a gleaming room of ploished wood. The columns that lined the path to the throne were carved with vines. A long green carpet decorated with gold thread lay stretched out from their feet to the throne at the end of the long room. The throne itself was polished black wood with the enormous antlers of Vanirian deer decorating. On that throne sat a tall man with short silver hair and the same dark green eyes as Vallera. Dressed in fine green velvet with a crown of silver leaves and dark emeralds, the pale man looked like an older male version of Vallera with a thick, square jaw.

He looked on in mild curiosity when recognition lit his face. "Vallera!" He boomed. "By the gods, is it really you?" He rose from his throne.

"Freyr. It's been a long time," Vallera said with a smile. She and Loki began crossing the long room. A man dressed in fine silks came from a side door and quickly strode over to the king and whispered in his ear. Freyr's happy face darkened.

"Sister," he began gravely. "My chancellor tells me your guest is a fugitive of Asgard. And Loki no less."

"I see my reputation proceeds me," Loki said with a cocky grin.

Freyr motioned with his hand and the guards in the room moved in. Vallera tossed two throwing knives at a pair of nearing guards. They landed with a flat thunk in the columns next to their heads in warning. She held a dagger to the throat of the nearest guard with an outstretched arm. Both Freyr and Loki seemed suprised by her instant reaction. "Touch him and I slit your throat," she warned before turning her attention to the king. "Brother, listen to me. I know full well who I've brought. I have brought him for a reason." Freyr waved the guards away to let her speak. "You know I wouldn't come back, after all this time, without a purpose. May we talk privately?"

"Very well. But Loki goes into custody as we do so," Freyr commanded. Vallera looked to Loki who simply shrugged. She agreed to his terms and the guards came forward again, cuffing Loki's wrists and ankles with just enough chain between for him to walk without falling. The guards took him from the room. Vallera watched him go before approaching her brother at the throne. Freyr sat back down. "Explain this to me, sister."

Vallera explained her visions to Freyr, and with Loki well out of ear-shot, told him of Thor and her time in Asgard. How Odin confirmed an impending attack with his ravens. How Thor knew everything and knew right where Loki would be. How, somehow, they needed the Asgardian princes to work together for them against the fire giants. "I don't care for this situation. Loki is dangerous. His trickery and deception are known throughout the nine realms and worlds beyond. The death and destruction he caused recently on Midgard..."

"Is not unlike what any other prince or king has done. And nothing compared to what the fire giants are going to do here."

Freyr thought it over. "Very well. But one mistake and he goes in chains."  
XxX

Outside the doors, Loki and the surrounding guards stood in a broad hallway with windows on one side and tapestries on the other. It had been well over an hour since he had been shackled and brought out here to wait. Vallera finally emerged. "And what did your dear brother have to say?"

"You're free here as long as you behave," she said, unlocking his cuffs.

"Well, I can't make any guarantees," he said, smirking. That wicked smile was starting to grow on her, Vallera realized as she found herself smiling at his jest. She dismissed the guards and they were now alone in the hall.

"My brother is planning a feast in honor of my homecoming. We should probably get cleaned up."

"I am allowed at such a gathering?" he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're expected. You are my guest. I'll show you to a guest chamber... If they're still in the same spot..." Vallera showed Loki to an empty guest chamber she found fairly easily. "You can stay here. If you need me, I'm to the left and up the tower. Mine is the one with bars on it." Loki raised a brow at that. "Yeah... Not a model princess," she said, shaking her head. "I'll meet you here at sundown. Make yourself pretty," she teased with a wink and headed off down the hall. She could hear Loki's amused chuckle as she left.

XxX

 _*We've made it to Vanaheim. In mythology very little is known about Vanaheim. Freyr is one of the Vanir who was sent to Asgard after the war. I just thought I'd throw him in. He has a twin named Freya who also lives in Asgard but in my little story he just has a little sister named Vallera. Mythology is awesome. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you next Friday._

 _\- Hel*_


	6. Chapter 6

**Vallera - Chapter 6**

For her brother's sake, Vallera decided she could play princess for a night. The bathrooms in the castle each had a small waterfall flowing with warm water from a horizontal slit in the wall down to a marble basin. With the turn of a lever, a channel emerged from the wall to divert the water to a marble tub. After bathing, Vallera dressed herself in a black silk strapless dress that draped low on her back and pooled at her feet. She adorned herself with a silver collar and matching arm cuffs. She wove her silver hair with a black ribbon into a long braid, a few rebellious strands hanging by her face. She may have felt rather uncomfortable in her skin at the moment but she looked like a vision of beauty. Vallera certainly didn't miss this. And she had a horribly long night of proper behavior and small talk with noblemen and their women to look forward to. Damn.

The sun began setting, a different sight in Vanaheim. The light cast a varying array of green light through the windows of the castle. Beems of yellow, green, and white light shone in shimmering beams through leaves and branches. Vallera went to collect Loki for the feast. She had begun to realize how hungry she was. She had had nothing but ale and mead since leaving Asgard.

Loki waited, leaning against his door with his arms crossed. He was dressed in his Asgardian garb of black, green, and gold. He had bathed and slicked his hair back. It had been a couple years since he had been to one of these things. He found them rather tedious.

Loki heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs, he straightened his posture and waited to see who it was, a hand on his dagger just in case. Vallera rounded the corner and glided towards him. Vallera eyed Loki as he watched her. She suddenly felt even more uncomfortable than before. She was hoping he'd look elsewhere or jest or say something sarcastic to break the awkwardness she was feeling being back in the princess role. Unfortunately he didn't. He offered her his arm like a proper nobleman when she neared. She accepted silently, unsure of what to do with this polite Loki. Gods this was going to be a long night.

When the long lost princess entered escorted by the fugitive prince of Asgard, a brief silence fell over the crowed feast hall followed by a gentle roar of whispers. Every nobleman and woman within a day's distance was dressed in their finest silks and velvets for the occasion. All were curious to see what had become of the missing sister of the king. The rumors of her bringing the infamous Loki as her guest really didn't help either.

The hall itself had several long tables around the room with space in the middle for dancing and congregating. A string band was set up in one corner of the hall playing softly. Vallera looked across the room and saw her brother with a beautiful red-head in a silver and emerald floral crown. She must be his queen. To her brother's left there were two empty seats that must have been meant for her and Loki. To the right of the queen, there sat another woman who, on Midgard, would look to be in her mid-fifties. White hair curled into a bun with a golden tiara woven in above ice blue eyes in a lined face. Vallera averted her eyes. Loki took notice. "Who is she?"

"Cisdiere. My mother."

"Ah, dear mother. You were the favorite child I see," he said with fake sincerity.

"I was actually hoping she was dead," she said in a hushed tone as they neared the king's table. She lit her face with a false smile and greeted the king. "Brother. Who is the lovely woman beside you?"

Freyr smiled as Loki and Vallera seated themselves. "There you are, sister. This is my queen, Lisandria. Darling, this is my sister, Vallera. And I'm sure you have heard of the Asgardian prince Loki."

"A pleasure," the queen said with an uncertain tone.

"Introduce your guests," a high, stern voice commanded. It was Vallera's mother. Gods forbid she be left out of anything. The woman lived for luxury and attention.

"Ah yes, mother," Freyr reluctantly remembered. "This is my mother, Cisdiere. Mother, you remember your daughter. And this is her _guest_ ," he emphasized as if to silently beg his mother to be kind.

"An honor, Lady Cisdiere. I can see where Vallera gets her beauty," Loki said with all the charm in the world. Vallera jabbed his ribs discreetly under the table at being compared to her mother. Loki ignored her and smiled sweetly, enjoying getting under Vallera's skin.

"You flatter me," Cisdiere said with false modesty. "Freyr, it is time you serve your guests. They must be starving."

Vallera saw Freyr close his eyes and mentally stomp down any reaction he may have to his mother's orders. He had always been the more patient one. "Yes, you're right." He tapped his goblet. The gentle ringing silenced the room. The king declared it time to feast and food was brought forth. Several meats, breads, cheeses, and fruits were brought forward on silver platters by servants coming in droves.

Vallera tried to eat in relative silence, eating and sipping on wine slowly so her mouth was always full and she had an excuse not to speak. After a short while, the music picked up and people began dancing. Lords and ladies came up to greet the king and his queen. Cisdiere injecting herself into every conversation she could. Loki watched as Vallera uneasily avoided conversion and the intermittent bombardment of questions from her mother. He both pitied her and understood.

Cisdiere had just finished asking Vallera if she had had a steady vocation or if she had lived off the land like an animal and went to take a condescending sip of wine. She froze and dropped her goblet with a gasp when she saw her wine had been turned to relatively small, writhing, hissing, black snakes. Vallera covered her mouth as she choked on her wine trying not to laugh. The snakes disintegrated in a yellow light and Cisdiere glared over at Loki and Vallera. Of course it was actually impossible to tell who truly did it seeing as the Vanir were a people of magic, but who else would have the audacity to do such a thing beside her vagabond daughter or the fugitive seated beside her.

Loki stood and offered his hand to Vallera, who gratefully accepted it and rose. As Loki escorted her away, Vallera leaned in and whispered, "Thank you."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about," he said sternly then looked over to her with a smirk. "A bit of mischief." Vallera smiled. That smirk really was growing on her.

She realized Loki was leading her out a door. "Where are we going?" Out in the hall it was significantly less populated. A small group of people further down to the right, a couple off to the left, and a few servants walking between the feast and the kitchens with either empty or full silver trays depending on the direction they were going.

"I could use some air," he said dismissively, finding a door that led to a balcony. The stone balcony faced away from the city, only dark forest lay out before them. Some pale light from the moon above the leaves streemed down. But most of the light came from the torches inside. Vallera leaned on the railing and breathed deep the night air. Loki watched curiously, hands loosely clasped behind his back.

"I hate these sort of gatherings," Vallera admitted after a long silence.

"Yes, they are rather unpleasant," Loki agreed. Vallera looked up at him with those big, dark eyes. But when she was going to say something, her brother walked out onto the balcony.

"Mother is looking for you," he said sympathetically. Vallera bit her lip in annoyance.

"Really?"

He nodded. "She has suitors for you to meet."

"You've got to be shitting me," she groaned. The king raised a curious brow at her crassness. "Sorry. Not ladylike."

"No, but I agree. Just humor her and turn them down like you always do."

"Really? The first night I'm back in 857 years and I'm to be paraded before suitors? I didn't come back to be a princess. I came to keep this place from being destroyed. If you weren't here I would have happily let it burn to the ground." Loki was pleasantly surprised by her dark statement.

"And for my sake now, just meet these men to silence our mother," Freyr pleaded. Vallera shook her head.

"Damn you. Let's make this quick." She accepted her brother's arm and looked over her shoulder with a pleading look to Loki, but he made no move to follow. He had no interest in watching her meet men.

Vallera was standing beside her mother as the party raged around them. She was being led from man to man, being introduced and told of each man's various accomplishments. Vallera half listened to the blonde man in fine blue silks before her regalling a battle he oh so heroically fought. Her eyes scanned the room for Loki. She hadn't seen him in hours and would have welcomed the sight of him. After the man's story, she excused herself to refresh herself with some wine. Her mother was hot on her heals as she wove through the crowd to the nearest servant with wine.

"You need to pick a suitor. That is not optional," her mother scolded. "You are quickly passing your desirable age. You are back under my roof, in my castle. You have already damaged my reputation immensely by running off all those years ago," she ranted. Vallera chugged the glass of wine and grabbed another. Her mother drove her to drinking in excess to deal with the narcissistic former queen. "People are already beginning to talk about you and that criminal, Loki."

Vallera snapped. "First off, this is no longer your roof or your castle. Father is dead and you are _no_ queen," she growled in a low tone. "I will _n_ _ot_ be picking any suitor. I have no intention of staying here any longer than necessary." Cisdiere held a hand indignantly to her chest. Vallera's voice was slowly rising from an angry whisper to a furious talk spat out through gritted teeth. It was drawing the attention of those in closest proximity. "And hard as it is to believe, Loki's presence has nothing to do with you. I don't give a fuck what people are saying. I didn't bring him to piss you off and I didn't bring him here to fuck him." There were a few gasps from the growing number of eavesdroppers surrounding them at the princess' language. "If you dare speak his name again..."

Vallera was cut off by someone sweeping her into their arms. She caught sight of Loki as he led her to the center of the hall where people were dancing. He placed a hand on her hip and took her hand in the other and began to waltz with her to the gentlemusic. They drew several stares. Loki's love of pissing people off was truly insatiable.

"I'm sure you just did it to spite everyone, but thank you." Loki himself wasn't quite sure the reason he had done it. Vallera laughed. "I've never seen her so angry." Her enjoyment at her mother's fury amused him. When the song ended, Vallera walked with Loki to his room. "Tonight was... awful. But you made it tolerable." She was glad the night was over.

"It would truly burn your mother if you were to spend the night," he smirked suggestively.

Vallera glared playfully at him. "Don't try your luck." Loki chuckled. Vallera was about to say goodnight when her eyes rolled back in her head. Loki caught her as she crumpled to the floor. He carried her into his room, it wouldn't look good if someone saw him standing over the unconscious body of the sister to the king.

This time, Vallera just shivered like she was cold rather than shaking and thrashing like she had in Nidavellir. Loki lay her on the bed and waited for her to wake. She did so a short while later. "What did you see?" Vallera didn't answer, just starred into space. Why didn't she answer? Was she reluctant or afraid? "Answer me, girl," Loki said more sternly.

Vallera turned and looked at Loki, though she seemed to be starring through him to some unknown truth. "Teach me to fight."

XxX

 _* So I'm not too sure about this chapter. It was an idea, started it, then didn't know where to go. This is how it ended up. O well, back on track next chapter. Let me know what you thought._

 _-Hel*_


	7. Chapter 7

**Vallera - Ch** **aper 7**

It was still dark when Vallera crept through the castle out to the training yard. She hadn't slept that night. Faint noises from the party wafted under her door until just a couple hours ago, but that wasn't her reason for insomnia. Her vision from last night haunted her. She truly hoped she could change things. Vallera had changed from her gown into black leggings and a black tank under a chain mail top and skirt.

Alone with her thoughts, she began absent mindedly tossing throwing daggers at a row of three straw dummies. She had always been rather good with them. Her aim was always spot on. That wouldn't be enough when the fire giants came. She was good with a dagger, easily besting a mortal, but not good enough to defeat a skilled warrior or jotun. Perhaps Loki could teach her to use a sword or a spear, something more useful in a combat situation. However, she still had no idea when they'd actually attack. Vallera didn't know how much time she'd have to learn. Maybe it was best to work on what she already knew.

Just after sunrise, Loki awoke and went in search of Vallera. He could hear a steady thunk from a hall window. Looking out he saw her throwing daggers at dummies. All the daggers either landed between the eyes, in the throat, or in the heart. Well, her aim was fine, and from the tavern in Niflheim he knew she was good with a dagger. He was curious as to why she felt the urge to better her fighting. He assumed it had to do with her vision. She had been in a daze since waking from it. Loki knew he wouldn't get anything from her in that state and had decided to wait to press the matter. Well, if she wanted to better herself at fighting, may as well start.

Loki leapt out the window, landing nimbly behind Vallera. He manifested his spear in his hands and whipped the blunt end at her. Vallera had heard the sound of Loki landing behind her and instinctively moved away, but not far enough. The end of Loki's spear caught her upper arm with a sharp whap that was sure to leave a welt. She whirled to face her aggressor and saw Loki then realized what was going on. Vallera manifested a silver spear and lunged the blunt end twords Loki, who easily dodged and whirled his spear to strike. This time Vallera slid away. She flung her spear towards Loki's side. Again he avoided it easily, an annoyed look on his face. "Quit throwing it about. It's a weapon, an extension of your arm." Loki struck out at Vallera again, she blocked it with the center of the shaft and pushed it back towards Loki. He pulled away and spun, aiming to strike high but at the last second went low and hit behind her knees, sending her buckling to the ground. Vallera rolled away from another strike and leapt to her feet "Think ahead. You were too easily fooled."

Several hours and several bruises later, Vallera was improving while Loki didn't have a mark on him. She was determined to leave at least one good welt on him. Vallera stumbled to her knees, dropping her spear in the process. She held her forearm up to sheild herself from Loki's next strike, but the shaft of his spear went straight through her arm. The blunt tip struck the ground, sending a shockwave up Loki's arms. Vallera's shaft came crashing on Loki's shoulder by the time he realized it had been an illusion. Half impressed that she had managed to deceive him and half pissed that he fell for it, Loki spun his spear and lashed behind him. Vallera blocked she strike. She struggled to push his spear away and he pushed towards her, spears and eyes locked. "Better," Loki said.

The compliment surprised Vallera just enough to falter slightly and send Loki's spear crashing towards her, she rolled away and rose to her feet. They battled on until Vallera really did trip in a hole. "Watch your surroundings," Loki ordered as she crashed to the ground. Vallera was on her back and recovered her grip on her spear just in time to block Loki's strike. Spears locked again Vallera thought fast of a way to throw Loki off. She picked the most distracting thing she could think of, she leaned up and captured his lips. Vallera felt his shock and sent a burst of energy towards him, throwing him off. He flew and landed on his feet, slidng to a stop in the dirt. "I hope you don't plan on kissing every opponent that pins you," his sarcastic tone bit.

Vallera smirked, "Jealous?" Loki scoffed and she lunged for him. He blocked her strike. She let him push her spear back, using the momentum to whip her spear behind her back and let the blunt end crash into his forearm. Loki took advantage of her proximity and her spear behind her back to raise his spear over her head with both hands and lowered it behind her back, encircling her.

He pulled his spear close, trapping her against him. Vallera squirmed against him but couldn't get free. Loki leaned in. "Forfit," he commanded, his breath on her ear.

"Never," she hissed against his neck and stomped her heel on his foot. He grunted and loosened his grip, but not enough for her to get her hands or spear from behind her back.

Loki chuckled, "Stubborn girl." He re-tightened his grip and once again commanded, "Forfit." Vallera could hear Loki's heartbeat in his chest, a little elevated. She could feel his chest push against her and fall away in a slight pant and saw a bead of sweat roll down his neck. Meanwhile, her heart was racing, she panted, and her forehead and neck were damp with sweat. She was clearly more exerted than he was. If she found a way out he would clearly outlast her and the sun was beginning to set, they had been sparring all day. It seemed she was out of choices at the moment. She needed more improvement.

Fine then. He won today, at least she left a few marks on him. She nodded then rested her forehead against his chest, every injury and sore muscle suddenly crashing on her. "I forfit." Loki let her rest against him a moment, before releasing her. "Same time tomorrow?"

Loki nodded. "You could use the practice," he taunted. Vallera shot him a glare. "I'm going to wash up. I suggest you do the same. You could use a bath," she teased, walking away as Loki smirked.

XxX

Vallera didn't sleep again. She wandered the halls in hopeless thought. How could she sleep knowing what was coming? She didn't even know when it would happen. Vallera ended up back in the training yard. She began attacking straw dummies as the silver light from an unseen full moon streamed through the leaves, bathing the yard in a faint blue glow. It being the middle of the night, with only the occasional guard, Vallera didn't notice the figure watching in the doorway. It was a tall silhouette outlined by faint torchlight. She stopped to stretch her arms out and rolled her neck. "Do you ever sleep?"

"Do you?" she asked, turning to face Loki. "Here for a rematch?" she teased. Loki looked her over with a raised brow, her arms covered in bruises and welts of varying blues, purples, and reds. He knew her legs and back would be just as covered.

"I don't think you could handle another round," his tone was condescending but his smirk was playful. He strode towards her.

"I don't know. I've improved. I could give you a few marks," she said tapping his shoulder with the tip of her spear. Loki scoffed. "What? Afraid to loose?" she teased.

"Hardly. You have a ways to go before you could win." He loomed over her now. "I'm more interested in why you're up at this hour?" his tone was darker.

"War hangs over us and you ask why I can't sleep?"

"Your vision haunts you." Vallera averted her gaze but Loki reached up and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I am going to fight in _your_ war. I can walk away at any time and leave you to burn." Vallera glared at him. "You are a perfectly competent fighter yet you fear it is not enough. I will _not_ go into this blind. Tell me what you saw." She mearly narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth. He could see the answer trying to get out. She wanted to tell him but fear was holding her back. "Tell me," he growled low.

She was battling with telling him but couldn't find the words. Loki's frustration grew and his hand slid to her throat and squeezed in a reminder of her situation. This only succeeded in angering her. Vallera clenched her spear and jabbed the blunt end into Loki's stomach. He grunted as the wind was knocked out of him.

In a second, Loki had his spear in his hands and struck at Vallera. She barely managed to block his strike and the following barrage. Apparently he had been holding back, but she was managing to hold him off. When they locked briefly she spat through grit teeth, "Loki, stop."

Loki growled and continued his attack. He was going to get his answer. Vallera felt metal strike her shoulder blade when she was too slow in a turn. Vallera began striking at Loki. She continued, putting him on the defense. Vallera went right and Loki blocked appropriately only to feel metal crash into his left ribs, an illusion. She truly was improving.

Seeing Loki struck in the ribs sent a flash through her mind of a great flaming sword cutting deep into his side. He stood there a moment, a carterized gash cut to the spine starring at her like a gaping maw. The sight knocked the wind from her, she dropped her spear and stumbled back. Rather than crumple to the ground like her vision, Loki looked at her quizzicaly. "What..." he started.

"I saw you die," Vallera blurted out. "I... I saw..." she couldn't find her words anymore. Loki's shock quickly turned to confusion. Surely she was mistaken. The look on her face spoke volumes though. Vallera quickly composed herself. She couldn't let that happen. Need him or not, she wasn't going to let him die. "You have to leave. Maybe I can convice my brother to evacuate or at least get himself out..." she trailed off.

Was she concerned for him? At any rate, he didn't have anywhere to go. He was tired of hiding, constantly running. It was beneath him. He wasn't going to die. The foolish woman was mistaken in her fear. Was she still rambling? "Silence," he commanded, gripping her shoulders. "I am not going to die, foolish girl." She searched his pale green eyes for signs of truth. He seemed set in his conviction.

Vallera narrowed her eyes in confusion and disbelief. "You would stay, knowing it may mean your death?"

Loki quickly thought over varying responses and decided simplicity may be best. "Yes."

Suprised by his answer Vallera just stared. Then, finally, she said, "Thank you." For a moment, neither knew what to say. Vallera felt the need to escape so she simply said, "I'll see you in the morning." Loki nodded and she left.

XxX

 _*Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter._

 _-Hel*_


	8. Chapter 8

**Vallera - Chapter 8**

Loki had been training Vallera every day for a week. She had vastly improved and Loki no longer needed to hold back as they sparred. She had also obtained significantly less bruises. Neither had brought up Vallera's vision.

They were sparring, already late in the day, when Cisdiere made an appearance. She looked her insolent daughter over. Vallera's arms, though healing, were still covered in bruises with one on her left cheek as well. Her eyes had red circles under them from the lack of sleep, her eyes themselves were dark. Her brow and neck glistend with sweat and she reeked of the musk of the man she was fighting with. Disgusting. It was barbaric behavior unbefitting a lady of any bearing.

Cisdiere sneared at her daughter's appearance. "Cast a glamor. Do something quickly to make yourself presentable. You have a guest."

Both lowered their spears and Vallera turned to the former queen. "I have a guest?" she said in confusion. Who could possibly need to see her?

Her mother nodded. "Yes. From Asgard."

Vallera instantly knew who it'd be. She had to get him out of here before Loki saw him. "Fine," she said, dismissing her mother. She turned to Loki. "I'll get rid of whoever this is quick and be right back." Vallera left quickly and followed her mother.

Loki was angry from being dismissed and more than a little curious as to who had come from Asgard to see Vallera. After getting to know Cisdiere a little, he guessed it was probably a suitor. This seemed to strengthen his determination to find out. Loki followed, magically shielding himself from the view of anyone he came across.

He followed Cisdiere and Vallera to the throne room, which appeared to be empty. He saw Vallera dismiss her mother to speak with someone out of his line of sight. When the door closed, Vallera addressed her guest. "What the hell are doing here? You know the risk of coming," her voice was a low, urgent hiss.

"The fire giants have mobilized. Heimdall has seen their departure," a low voice rumbled. He knew the voice instantly.

Loki stepped from the shadows. "Thor." Vallera's eyes widened at Loki's dark tone and she whirled to face him. He stood tall with spear in hand and all the fury of hell in his eyes. Thor strode forward, putting himself between Loki and Vallera. He knew his brother's fury and didn't want an innocent getting hurt.

"Brother," Thor pleaded. "I've kept my distance as long as I could but the fire giants will soon be upon us."

"You knew of this?" Loki growled. "All of this?"

"Vallera came to me on Midgard with her vision. I brought her to father to discover the accuracy and debate the meaning. I told her of you but we had believed you dead." Loki's fists began to tremble with rage. "She went to find you. She knew she could have nothing to do with me if there were any hope. She kept you from a prison, brother." Thor's words fell on deaf ears and Loki's helm appeared on his head and he blasted Thor in the chest, throwing him into the nearest column which splintered and shattered from the force. Thor brought himself quickly to his feet and grasped Mjornir, ready to fight. "Loki, now is not the time..."

Thor was cut off as Loki shot another blast then leapt towards him. Thor blocked Loki's strikes, unwilling to battle his brother especially at such a delicate time. The fire giants could be there at any...

A blast tore open an enormous hole in the wall, the shockwaves sent all three flying. Debris lay everywhere as following booms rattled the castle walls and their ear drums as they all pulled themselves to their feet. Screams and the clang of armor and metal filled Vallera's ears. The smell of smoke began invading her nostrils. She ran out the hole to see the town had been turned to a war zone in seconds. Boulders were being catapulted at the wall and castle, blasting holes in stone and crumbling towers. Women and clildren screamed and ran for the safety of the castle's deeper levels. Men and soldiers dressed quickly in armour and gathered weapons. Archers from atop the wall and in standing towers shot at the invaders. A horde of fire giants. Red flesh and black hair, flaming weapons, and war cries made up the army below.

Vallera could see her brother leading his army out the gates, trying to take the fight away from the city. Archers remained behind to defend but her brother had succeeded in drawing most the fire. Without a thought, Vallera leapt down, spear in hand, to the street below and took off towards her brother, the Asgardians completely forgotten.

Freyr and his army were well into the forest by the time Vallera had made it out of the city. She wasn't completely sure which way they had gone, the trees and undergrowth had already swallowed them up. Following the sounds of clanging metal and the smell of smoke she made it to the edge of the fight where soldiers and giants were further between. A jotun with soot covered skin bellowed and sent an ax crashing towards her. Vallera leapt away, dodging the strike. This giant was only about ten feet tall, not the mountain she had seen in her vision.

She leapt in close and jabbed at the giant's stomach, managing to pierce his flesh with the tip of her spear. He roared and grabbed the shaft, pulling it free from his body. He held her spear aloft, Vallera dangling from the other end as he tossed her aside. She crashed into a bush and quickly leapt to her feet, ready to engage her opponent again.

XxX

Loki took off after Vallera with Thor right behind him, but being unfamiliar with the town, they quickly lost her in the streets. "Damned woman must have gone to her brother," Loki said half to himself half to Thor. Thor nodded in agreement and followed Loki out of the gates and into the forest.

They finally reached the fighting but couldn't see Vallera anywhere. Thor swung his hammer, knocking away a giant's blade then striking the giant in his jaw, sending him toppling to the ground. He spun Mjornir and flew into a group of fire jotun as Loki took on a pair. His spear whirled and jabbed, cutting down the two before he moved on to the next opponent.

Loki was soon surrounded. Thor landed behind him. Back to back, the brothers readied themselves for battle. Thor now had his winged helm dawned. "Nice feathers," Loki mocked.

"Really, brother? Now?" Thor said, spinning Mjornir. "Cow," he shot back with a small smile in reference to his brother's horns. Both struck out at the encircling jotun and launched into battle.

XxX

Vallera still hadn't found her brother. She was deeper in the fight but her brother must be at the center. Seeing a fell tree leaning, half broken, against another, she ran up it and leapt up to a branch. She jumped to another, using the better vantage point to scan the battle before her.

Bodies and fire littered the forest below her. Her ears rang from the yelling, screaming, crackling fire, and clanging weapons. Up higher, her eyes burned from the smoke building in the air. There was a gap in the fighting just ahead from a denser patch of trees. Beyond that, she could just barely make out glimpses of another fight. That must be where her brother was.

Looking below, Vallera leapt down, dagger in hand and landed on the shoulders of a particularly large jotun. She used the momentum of her fall to plunge her dagger, hilt deep, into its skull. Vallera sprang off as the jotun collapsed.

She ran. Like in her vision she ran. Running through the burning forest from her youth. Running with a purpose. She had to get to Freyr. The rasp of her breath and the pounding of her heart filling her ears. Branches engolfed in flames broke free from their trunks with a sickening crack.

XxX

Loki was fighing a jotun with a flaming ax when Thor landed beside him. Loki leapt at the giant and shoved the tip of his spear into its throat. He pushed his feet against the giant's chest, launching himself away and sending the dying jotun to the ground.

"She's just ahead," Thor gestured with Mjornir. "She's nearing her brother." Loki took off as Thor launched himself through the air.

XxX

 _* That's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed._

 _-Hel*_


	9. Chapter 9

**Vallera - chapter 9**

It was growing darker now. The sun setting above the leaf lined sky. It didn't help that the smoke was growing thicker either. There was a flash behind her to the left followed by a boom that rattled her ear drums. She felt a woosh of air to her right and instinctively leapt away. Vallera stared at the carterized gash in the ground where she had just stood. She squinted up through the thick smoke and saw, far above her, the glowing red eyes of the giant of her visions. Her heart skipped a beat in recognition and she froze for a moment. A green flash from her right and ice splashed across the scene before her.

Vallera looked to the source of the green light and saw Loki, his face now blue and eyes red. His face lined with determination. She peered through the smoke and saw the mountainous beast roar out a battle cry. He rose his flaming sword readying to strike. Vallera turned to Loki, knowing what was to come but was temporarily frozen in her deja vu. Loki blasted her with a wave of energy, sending her crashing into a tree. Loki focused a beem of frozen energy up at the head of the jotun above them as the giant sword swung for his side.

This was the moment Vallera had been dreading. She called out to Loki, yelling out his name with a voice cracked from inhaling smoke. But it wasn't enough. The sword cut to the bone, half of Loki's stomach was taken out in the fatal swing. "NO!" she screamed and bolted to his side.

Her attention solely on Loki, she didn't notice the blade making its way back. Someone hit her from the back, flattening her to the ground with a weight on her as the sword swept above where her head had once been. "Damned woman," a voice growled in her ear. Vallera realized the weight and the voice was Loki. He had tackled her to the ground from the shadow of a nearby tree.

She looked up at where Loki had been struck and saw the gashed Loki fade away in a yellow light. An illusion. "An illusion?" she asked aloud mostly to herself to confirm. Loki yanked her to her feet and both lunged behind a set of trees to safety. "A fucking illusion," she said in disbelief. She had been worrying herself sick for a over a week for a fucking illusion. Anger boiled up inside her. She turned her spear on Loki and pinned him with his back to a tree with the tip of her spear lightly pressed to his jugular. "You ever do that to me again, god of lies, and I will slit you throat," she growled, glaring up at him.

Loki smiled genuinely down at the pissed woman before him. "Worried?" he taunted. Vallera pressed the tip a little more as she glared then pulled it away quickly, leaving a warning cut on his throat. A small red line with only a drop or two of blood, but it was enough to make Loki chuckle at the fire in the woman before him.

Thor had burst through the foliage and engaged the enormous fire giant. With the jotun occupied, Vallera took off through the foliage towards her brother once more. Loki was right behind her as she burst into a cluster of fighting. They fought their way towards the center.

There, at the epicenter of the battle, was the king. Freyr was perched atop a silver stallion in black armour that matched its rider. He struck at the jotun around him as his mount reared and kicked. Vallera fought her way to him, Loki by her side. She finally reached him and her eyes locked with the identical eyes of her brother from only a couple yards away. Freyr's eyes widened and both siblings looked down at his abdomin where six inches of sword jutted through. Blood ran over the blade in droplets then rivers.

Vallera looked back up to her brother's face, a tickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. She closed the gap and raised her hands up to grasp her brother's arm, to confirm his reality. He crumpled towards her and she slowed his fall to the ground. Every knight and soldier around instantly surrounded their king. Vallera's hands shook as she removed Freyr's helm and stroked his hair. She desperately searched his eyes for signs of life but they had gone dark. His breath came in body rattling gasps for a moment as he struggled to speak. Vallera shushed him as tears welled in her eyes. She pressed her hands desperately against her brother's wound trying to heal him, but the damage was too extensive. Blood bubbled up out of his mouth and then his chest froze. She scanned his body for signs of life but his breathing never resumed.

"No, no, no, no," she whispered desperately, pressing her hands harder against his wound as if it would help. Her vision was blury and her breath came in painful rasps. She leaned in, putting her ear to his lips hopelessly searching for his breath. The sky roared with thunder and ice was forming all around. Rain soon broke through the leaf canopy and began pouring on the battle.

Their fire taken from them, the fire giants retreated. Vallera didn't know how long she sat there, covered in her brother's blood, the ground beneath her turning to mud. The soldiers around her either finishing or chasing off straggling jotun. With the fires dying around her and the sun now completely gone, it was dark. Almost unable to see, she felt hands on her shoulders. Vallera looked up and could just make out the face of Loki. Everything after that was a blur.

XxX

Vallera sat in the dimmly lit wreckage of the throne room. She was sitting at the foot of the throne, her brother's throne. Her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands, she sat hunched over. Everything passed by around her.

And that's how Loki found her. Clothing torn, covered in blood and mud that only half washed off in the rain on the walk back to the castle. Her long, drenched, dirty, silver hair plastered to her head and neck. Her face blocked from view by her slender hands. She looked small and broken in that moment. As if someone had taken the porcelain doll and smashed it in the dirt, leaving it to be forgotten.

Loki had brought her here and left her right where she was as he went to give orders to the surviving army. Thor had been taking care of clean up, getting rid of remaining jotun. "Vallera?" his voice echoed off the broken stone and remaining walls in the empty room.

A soldier, Freyr's general, strode into the room, helm tucked under his arm. He stopped before Vallera and, on bended knee, bowed. "We have cleared the jotun and rounded prisoners. The jotun army has retreated."

"For now," Vallera's voice came, low, a raspy whisper.

"What would you have us do with the prisoners, my queen? Our dungeons were compromised in..."

"What?" Vallera asked.

"What would you have us do with..."

Vallera raised her head and held up a hand to silence him. "What did you call me?"

The general shifted on his knee awkwardly. "My queen," he stated slowly. "The king's wife and your mother... They were both killed when the first tower fell."

Vallera shook her head slowly as she realized the gravity of her situation. She didn't want this. She had never wanted the throne. "Queen," she muttered again, still in disbelief. She had fled centuries ago, in part, to avoid this very possibility.

"What would you have us do with the prisoners?" the general asked again of the fate of the jotun taken as war prisoners. Vallera looked down at her hands. Her hands which were caked in the blood of her brother.

She raised her gaze to the general before her, her eyes dark. In a low, stern tone full of venom she commanded, "Kill them all."

Loki watched the general leave to carry out her orders before making his way through the crumbled stone and shattered wood to where Vallera sat. She was staring off into space when Loki held out a hand to her. "Come. You should get cleaned up."

Vallera placed a bloody hand in Loki's and stared at it a moment. Her hand, red and black with the coagulated remains of her brother. Loki's hand, dusted with dirt and spattered with the blood of slain jotun. "I left him," she said robotically, letting her hand fall from his back to her lap.

"You didn't leave him," Loki assured her.

She nodded and tears welled in her eyes. "All those years ago. I left him. I begged him to come with but he refused. Said he was bound here by duty."

Loki removed his helm and sat beside her. After sitting in silence for a while, Loki spoke. "What now?"

"I don't know. What would a queen do?" she asked, turning to Loki.

"Can't say I have much experience in the matter," he replied, referring to his gender.

The corner of Vallera's lip turned up in a slight smile. "No. I suppose not... What would you do?"

"I'd regroup," he advised, knowing she needed rest. "Take advantage of your victory. Rest and rally your forces. Regain your strength. They will be back."

XxX

 _*Sad day for Vallera. Hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think of the story so far._

 _-Hel*_


	10. Chapter 10

**Vallera - chapter 10**

Vallera didn't know how she had gotten to bed, nor did she recall Loki putting her under with a sleeping spell. Yet there she was asleep. Dreaming. She dreamt of a time when she was a child, practicing needlepoint in her room. She sat cross-legged on her bed, working on some floral pattern she had long forgotten the detail of.

A young Freyr, mid-teens, walked in as Vallera pricked her finger. She cursed. "Sorry, not ladylike," she apologized, noting her brother's presence.

"No, it's not," her brother chuckled.

"I wish I could just learn fighting like you. At least there you're supposed to stab things," she grumbled sarcastically.

Her brother smiled, seating himself on the edge of her bed. "Perhaps I can teach you some more tonight... If you can sneak out that is..." he said, looking to the shimmering bars on her window.

Vallera smirked. "Already done." Freyr watched as the bars faded from view then returned in a shimmering light.

Freyr shook his head, amused. "You have a gift for magic. I don't know when or how you learn such things, but don't stop. I still cannot produce illusions."

"That's because you're always busy with other things."

"It's not just that. But, yes. I have to be king one day. I have much to learn and do."

Vallera looked down at her hands. "Do you really have to be king?"

He nodded. "If I'm not king, you'll have to be queen."

"We could just leave."

Freyr laughed, believing her to be joking. "Come now, sister. You know I have a duty here. And you wouldn't leave your brother, would you?" he asked with a smile. Vallera smile reassuringly but in her heart, she was already half way out the door.

That had been the first of many such conversations over the years. Freyr always believed her to be jesting. He had been in denial up until the day they found her gone. Looking back, Vallera believed it wasn't the throne they feared, but becoming their parents. Cold. Distant. Obsessed with their rule, their wealth, their image.

Freyr had been her only source of love or affection. She could only imagine the look on his face when she left. The betrayal amd desertion he must have felt. And now he was gone. She had just gotten him back, had just returned to him, and now the only person she had ever loved was gone. Dead on the field of a battle she had seen coming. If she hadn't been so damned preoccupied with Loki she could have saved her brother. Damn him. It was all those Asgardians fault. She had been so focused on them, on getting their help, on Loki's "death". And what had they truly done for them? The fire giants were still strong. They'd be returning. What had those brothers done but get in the way. If she had just come straight to her brother everything would be different. Freyr would be alive. It was all their fault.

Right?

Then again, without them, that mountainous jotun would have killed her. Without Loki's training, she probably wouldn't have even made it that far. Come to think of it, what had Loki been doing while she was sitting in a mourning daze? How had anything gotten done? The only order she had given was to execute the war prisoners.

Vallera's unconscious mind was ripped towards a new scene. It was a world that was both dark and bright. The sky was blacked out by smoke and ash. A great orange wasteland spread out before her, dry and cracked. Red rock and cliffs broke the emptiness. An occasional geyser of fire and steam erupted with a loud burst. Slowly, a battle faded into view in front of her eyes. There, before her, stood a large jotun with a leather band around his forehead. For a moment she thought she reconized him. Then she realized, she was unarmed.

The jotun swung his blade at her. She stepped back to dodge but her foot only met air. She was unarmed, trapped, on a fucking cliff. Lovely. Unable to regain her footing, she was soon falling backward, plummeting towards a river of lava below. As Vallera fell, she thought she could hear her name. But then everything went black.

Vallera sat up in a bed. She wasn't sure which bed. Her room had been destroyed. It appeared to be a guest room somewhere in the inner levels of the castle. She wasn't sure what time it was but she could hear hammers and tools somewhere down the corridor outside the room. She got up and dressed, going to see what was going on.

Carpenters and masons were already hard at work. She wondered if they had started on their own from experience or if someone had given the order. Vallera wandered the halls for a while, unsure of where to go or what to do.

"Lady Vallera," a booming voice greeted. She turned to see Thor. "How do you fare this morning?"

She smiled half-heartedly. "Well enough. How um..." she started to ask, gesturing to the workers around them.

Thor nodded in understanding. "Ah yes. Loki gave the order." He saw the confused look on her face. "Does that offend you? I thought you knew..."

"No, no. It's fine. It's just... I'm suprised is all."

"I as well," Thor nodded.

A high ranking soldier, perhaps a captain Vallera wasn't sure, marched up and bowed before addressing her. "Your grace, your presence is requested in the war room."

Vallera nodded. "Very well." She turned to Thor, "Shall we?"

They arrived at the war room a short walk later. It was a large and still intact room near the center of the castle. Inside were half a dozen high ranking soldiers and a few important members of the council. They mumbled to eachother as they entered. Loki stood at large wooden table engraved with a map of Vanaheim. He nodded in acknowledgment as they made their way to the table. Her brother's general was the first to speak. He updated Vallera on the statistics and casualties of yesterday's battle. Honestly Vallera didn't know whether the facts were good or bad. She had never been trained in war, being a woman, and hadn't had much experience in her stay in the other realms. Thor and Loki seemed to understand perfectly. She would have to trust them.

Vallera's dark eyes scanned the table and the figurines representing troops when she notice something. "Where did they come from?" she asked mostly to herself but then looked to the general for an answer.

He seemed hesitant to answer. "We don't know your grace. There's no direct path between here and Muspelheim and no other realms have reported an army traveling through."

"Loki?" Vallera asked turning her eyes on him.

Loki's eyes scanned the map before he pointed. "There is a small path here."

"By small you mean...?" she asked.

Loki shook his head. "I can't imagine them being able to fit more than two jotun shoulder to shoulder through at a time."

"That would take far too long," Vallera mused. "There must be another way..." She turned and headed for the door. The general's voice halted her.

"Where are you going, your grace?"

"I'm going to go take a look at this path."

The general shook his head. "It is far too dangerous for you. Let me take some men..."

"No. If the jotun are watching, soldiers so close could cause them to attack. It will be far safer if I go alone. However, if you're so concerned, I can take an escort." The general stepped forward in expectation to recieve the job but Vallera looked to Loki. "Coming?" Loki bowed his head, accepting and they quickly headed out the door.

XxX

Loki and Vallera made their way through the forest. Everything was covered in a wet shine, droplets still dripping from the leaves. The smell of rain permeated the air. Vallera recognized this area of wood as being near where her brother died. They were going to have to pass the exact spot to get to the path.

As they neared, Vallera's pace slowed. The signs of battle were still evident. Scorched earth and dead burnt trees were everywhere. Blood was still caked in crevases that the rain could not reach. Her eyes caught sight of where her brother had lain. She slowly made her way over, pulled from her intended course as if by a magnet. Her brother's body had been removed yesterday, the ground still tampled and muddy. Vallera fell to her knees there in the muck and stared where her brother had lain.

Loki had stopped and watched cautiously as she made her way over and knelt. She was now exactly how he had found her. Loki walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It won't do you any good," he warned. "Moping in the mud." No response. "It's actually rather pathetic. Beneath you." Still nothing. Time to go deeper. "I am impressed, truly. Play the grieving sister and maybe everyone will forget that it was all. your. fault." His tone had darkened and he slowly circled her. Vallera's fists clenched in her lap. Loki didn't let up. "Have I effected you so or is this ploy all you? Do you think if you grieve hard enough it will make up for _abandoning_ him, what was it? Eight hundrend and fifty seven years ago," he drew the number out, emphasizing it. "After all, how much could you truly care for someone you haven't seen in near a millennia?"

In a blink, Vallera stood, whirled on Loki, and slapped him with such force that it echoed in the surrounding forest. Loki's cheek was now a deep red as he smirked and turned towards her. "Finally. A spark." Confusion crossed Vallera's face. "Moping about won't do you any good. Like it or not, you are a queen now. A queen at war. And your people, your brother's people, will look to you for strength." A single tear slowly made its way down Vallera's pale cheek. Loki's voice softened, "Freyr wouldn't want you to mourn. Remember him with joy, not how he died. Turn your sorrow to rage. Take your vengeance and win this war." He placed a hand on her cheek and wiped away the tear with his thumb.

Vallera closed her eyes, breathed deep, then opened her eyes again. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Come. Let's see to that path."

XxX

Vallera and Loki had gone to the path and found that it had been expanded upon since Loki had last used it. They walked the path carefully to take a quick look around. It exited on a desert that Vallera recognized from her most recent vison. In the distance they could see a jagged castle of black glass. There were no soldiers in the immediate area, for now at least. Vallera guessed they must be at the castle restoring both weapons and soldiers.

They had since returned to Vanaheim, making their way towards the war room. Vallera had called for the other members of that morning's meeting to return when she had entered the city walls.

Thor stood, just down the hall from the war room, watching the pair make their way towards him. He noticed that Vallera behaved different. Instead of slouching, the weight of grief bearing down on her, she stood tall. Her eyes, rather than dull and lifeless, now had a light behind them. Thor knew Loki must have had something to do with her change and knew instantly that he must be up to something.

Thor nodded in acknowledgment to Vallera and clamped a hand hard on Loki's shoulder as he passed, stopping him. Vallera paused and looked at the brothers curiously. Loki saw the expression on Thor's face and nodded for Vallera to go on. She looked them over suspiciously before heading into the war room.

"You look happy to see me, dear brother," Loki smirked.

Thor squeezed his shoulder in warning. "I don't know what you scheme, Loki, but it stops now. That woman is grieving, she hasn't the strength..."

"That woman is stronger than you know," Loki said calmly. Thor's grip lightened and a look of confusion crossed his face. "Shall we?" Loki asked, looking towards the door. Thor searched his brother's face for some sign of deceit or of his intentions. Finding nothing, Thor released him and let Loki brush passed before joining him.

XxX

 _*Sorry there were no extra chapters this week. All my documents disappeared so I've been trying to rewrite everything I had. Almost caught up so hopefully I can get another chapter out quick._

 _-Hel*_


	11. Chapter 11

**Vallera - Chapter 11**

They had spent the rest of the day in the war room, discussing strategy and tactics. The group had come to the decision to attack Muspelheim. They wouldn't be expecting it and wouldn't be prepared. It would be best to beat them back, defeat them completely to prevent any return and avoid any further damage to Vanaheim and it's civilians. The whole thing was mentally exhausting. Everyone filed out except for Vallera who hand both hands on the table, resting her weight on her arms.

Thinking everyone was gone she let her head drop and closing her eyes to think. "Something troubles you."

Vallera instantly righted herself then relaxed when she saw Loki. "Am I so obvious?"

"Just a little," he teased. Vallera chuckled then spoke. "I wasn't made for this."

"Few are made for war."

"Not war. Death, whatever the form, is a common enough sight. It's all this," she gestured to the room. "The politics, the people. There's too many damned people." It was Loki's turn to chuckle. "You don't need to be here." Loki eyed her suspiciously. "You've held up your end of the bargain, and since I'm now queen I can guarantee your freedom here. You protected us, invading Muspelheim isn't your burden." When Loki didn't respond, Vallera smiled reassuringly and said, "You're free."

Loki gave her a half-bow in thanks. "Then if it's all the same to you, I think I'll stay," he said and exited, leaving Vallera to her shock.

XxX

There would be no sleep that night. Soldiers readied themselves for an early march. The activity in the halls never died down. It was still before dawn when her army had gathered at the city gates and marched for Muspelheim. Vallera was mounted on her brother's silver stead, dressed in black armour, her silver hair braided to keep it out of her face.

Loki rode up beside her on an ebony stallion dressed in full armour. "You could stay at the castle," he suggested. Vallera raised an inquisitive brow. "No queen is expected to fight. You could wait here."

A mocking smile curled her lips. "Dear Loki, do you worry after me?"

"I was merely making a suggestion."

Vallera scoffed then leaned over on her horse towards Loki. "Don't fret. You're secrect is safe with me," she said quietly with a wink before straightening herself again. Loki glared at Vallera, which she found amusing.

The army emerged in the fiery desert before first light in Vanaheim. The fire giant army hadn't emerged yet when Vallera made her way through, but in this expanse of land, they would be spotted in seconds.

Sure enough, when they reached halfway between the path exit and the jagged castle, an army began forming outside the castle walls. The armies met a short distance away from the castle. Battle was instant and fierce.

Vallera stabbed at jotun from her mount, charging towards the heart of battle. Her determination and hate burned in her veins. The ground trembled from the fire geysers roiling beneath their feet before blasting through the vents. Cheers from a group of jotun errupted off to the right. Vallera looked to see their cause for celebration and froze. Half a dozen struggling jotun holding chains brought forward a large beast. A dragon. Covered in black scales with fiery yellow eyes that seemed to burn like the sun, it roared. The sound was low and rumbling from somewhere in the depths of its extensive throat. Each vertebra jutted through its hide in a sharp spike and its face was framed in an intimidating frill. Vallera could see the long healed stumps where its wings used to be. The jotun must have amputated them to control the creature. The handlers released the chains. It roared again, this time spouting a stream of fire.

"Shit," Vallera cursed briefly before charging towards the dragon. She only got so close before her horse reared, refusing to go any closer. She leapt from its back and it ran in the other direction. Vallera rolled as a talon from the serpentine beast struck out at her. She jabbed at the base of its throat from her knees before rising and dodging another strike. The dragon's long neck curled and struck like a snake, narrowly missing Vallera's leg. She brought her spear down on its neck with a sharp smack, the dragon hissed. She vaulted herself over its neck and poised herself, ready to strike. The beast opened its pointed maw and roared.

Vallera stabbed at its throat with her spear. The dragon launched itself forward with its rear legs. One of its front arms tore Vallera's spear from her hands. It snapped it up in its jaws and with a flick of its long neck, tossed it across the battle field. "Damn," Vallera sighed.

She pulled a long dagger from her hip and faced down the demon serpent. It lashed its tail at her like a whip. She leapt away but the tip caught her upper arm, splitting open a good sized gash. Vallera hissed from the vicious sting followed by a deep throbbing pain. The dragon took advantage of her pause to coil and strike. Vallera yelled out as her other arm ended up shoulder deep in the creatures mouth. She could feel the long slimy muscle that was its tongue, feel the heat from within its body. It was like putting her arm in an oven with fangs. She had a total of three long dagger-like teeth embedded in her shoulder, two from the upper jaw, one from the lower. She panted in pain, kicking at its throat to release her.

It raised its head, dangling her high off the ground by her arm. Vallera cried out again, her weight hanging from her arm tore the teeth within her like twisting a knife in a wound. She grabbed onto its jaw with her free hand to help bare her weight. She pulled herself up and kicked at its lower jaw, at one specific tooth, repeatedly until it became loose. With her free hand she grasped the tooth near the root and ripped it free. The dragon growled, making its mouth hotter. Weilding the fang like a dagger, Vallera plunged it deep into the creature's eye. With a high pitched roar, it dropped her. Vallera's arm was covered in blood and dripped crimson. Her skin red and blistered with third degree burns. The three large holes went straight through like tunnels in her arm and gushed blood. Her vision was starting to blur. The beast roared, mouth wide, and Vallera knew this was her only chance. In one move she pulled out a throwing dagger and tossed it down the dragon's throat just as a spark lit at the back of its mouth.

The dagger struck with its throat and the dragon's jaws snapped shut. The beast clawed at its throat, talons ripping scaly flesh, trying to remove the blade. It only succeeded in quickening its own death. When the beast collapsed to the ground, Vallera fell to her knees panting. She grabbed at her shoulder, but the wounds were too big to stop the bleeding.  
Her consciousness was fading fast. As she fell sideways, she felt arms catch her. Her body had begun shivering uncontrollably and she peered up. Through her fading vision she could just barely make out Loki's form.

"Loki?" she choked out.

"Silence, foolish girl," he snapped. He put a hand on her wounds and set his magic about healing her. It took a long moment, but eventually her wounds did close. Loki grabbed her chin and turned her face to his. "Wake up," he commanded. "Wake up."  
Still weak from blood loss, but starting to come around, Vallera managed a smile. "Did I scare you?" she teased.

"Oh, not at all. A walk in the park," he smiled down at her. "Can you stand?"

"I think so." Every passing moment pumped more blood in her veins. Loki helped her to her feet then released her to cut down an encroaching jotun and engage two more. Vallera caught just enough breath to get moving and faught off a fire giant with her dagger. Hurting, but fully concious, she was back in the fight.

Armed with a long dagger, Vallera leapt about, having to dodge more and get closer to strike. It mattered not, she was better with a dagger than a spear. Vallera just slashed the throat of one jotun when another caught her with a wooden club, sending her flying backward. Her feet hit orange sand and she skid until she ran into something behind her. A metal shaft closed around her, trapping her against whatever she crashed into. "Ready to call it a day?" Loki mocked, releasing her.

"Surely not. This is just getting fun," she smirked before charging a jotun. Vallera caught the jotun across its abdomen, eviscerating it. Fire giant blood was black and thick, as though it were made of liquid ash, and Vallera was covered in it. Black was splashed across her face and hair, her hands and forearms were covered in slow rivers of it.

Then Vallera saw him, the jotun from her vision. Seeing him like this, in battle, she recognized him as the jotun who killed her brother. She knew engaging this giant would end in her plummeting to a river of lava, but she really didn't care as she ran at him. The jotun swung its sword at her, Vallera rolled to the side. Springing to her feet, she kept low and charged the giant, aiming for its stomach. She managed to gash its side but had to pull back short to dodge a strike. As they faught, Vallera noticed they were slowly edging closer to where the ground dropped away. She dropped to her knees to dodge a swing and plunged her dagger, hilt deep into the jotun's thigh. It yelled out in pain and fury as it backhanded Vallera, the force sent her slamming into the sand. She pushed herself up and somersaulted away from the jotun's blade.

Vallera's dagger remained embedded in the jotun's leg. She was down to a few throwing knives. She tossed a blade at the jotun, but a geyser of fire shot upward, taking the blade with it. The giant charged around the geyser toward Vallera. She leapt out of the way and threw another blade, this one stuck in the jotun's shoulder but didn't seem to phase it. Vallera readied her final knife then sent it threw the air and burrowing into the fire giant's stomach. Now unarmed, Vallera scanned the ground for any sort of weapon. Finding none, she could only dodge the attacks. Unfortunately, she knew what would happen next. Vallera stepped back onto air and plunged down. For a moment, jagged red rock rushed passed her face. But then she heard her name and her body stopped with a jolt.

Vallera felt someone grasp her wrist, she clutched her lifeline back. Looking up she saw Loki.  
"Must I put a leash on you, woman? Everytime you leave my side you manage to find trouble," he taunted, pulling her up. Vallera's smile quickly vanished as a blade appeared through Loki's shoulder. He involuntarily released Vallera, but had already managed to pull her high enough that she was able to clutch the edge and uneasily pull herself up.

She knelt next to Loki and looked him over, "I swear if this is one of your tricks..."

Vallera picked up Loki's spear and blocked a strike from the jotun. She rose to her feet and stabbed at the fire giant. She needed to heal Loki but there was no doing that with this jotun alive. She blocked a strike, then returned with a jab. Her three blades still stuck in the jotun and it was slowing him down. Vallera dodged a swing and ducked in close. She stabbed Loki's spear into its chest then grabbed the throwing knife she had left in its stomach and pulled it across its abdomen. The jotun fell to its knees and bled out in seconds.

Vallera turned and rushed to Loki's side. He had gone sickly pale and his lips blue from the blood loss. Her hands shook as she placed them over his wound as flashes of Freyr's death played out before her eyes.

Loki's wound was through the right shoulder, just above his heart. She couldn't heal her brother, doubt weighed heavily on her mind and it was affecting her magic.

Vallera closed her eyes, desperately hoping that this wasn't happening. Loki's cold hand grasped hers and brought her back to reality. She couldn't loose him. Determination replacing desperation, Vallera set about healing Loki with renewed focus.

After what seemed an eternity, Loki was healed, his color started to return. He had passed into unconsciousness sometime during the healing, he remained so from blood loss but she relaxed as his breathing evened out.

Vallera heard Thor land beside her and knelt to check on his brother. "Is he...?"

"He's alright but he's lost a lot of blood," she assured.

"Battle is dying down. Victory is within reach," he informed her.

Vallera nodded. "Thank you." A few soldiers had found Vallera and Loki's mount and brought the horses to them. Thor hoisted Loki onto his, slumping against its ebony neck.

From atop Vallera's silver stead she got a good view of what remained of the battle. Bodies littered the fiery desert, both jotun and vanir alike. A group of the most elite soldiers had broken through the jotun gate and was working its way through their city. A soldier bowed then addressed Vallera. "Your grace, we have the jotun king in custody."

She nodded. "Take me to him." The soldier led them through the carnage. Most of the fire giants had given up at this point, kneeling before vanir captors. The few that still fought would fight to the death and would be dealt with soon.

Vallera was brought to the city gates where a dozen soldiers held a single jotun at point. The giant wore a blackened metal crown, the king. "Surt, the jotun king," her general introduced as she approached. "What would you have us do with him, my queen?"

Thinking it over, Vallera weighed her options. Kill him and be done, but then there was the possibility of the remaining jotun coming for revenge, their king turned to a martyr. Or let him live. He could rally what was left and attack or rebuild and attack later. "Release him," she decided. "Let him live with the humiliation of defeat. Release what prisoners we have."

"Your grace..." her general started to protest.

"They don't have the power or resources to attack again. Even if they try to down the road, his people have lost faith in their king. Leave them here to rot. Bring our men home." Her orders spoken, the soldiers bowed and set about their work.

XxX

 _*Sorry about only one chapter again this week. I've been busy and I'm just catching up to where I was when everything got deleted. Hope you like the chapter anyway._

 _-Hel*_


	12. Chapter 12

**Vallera - Chapter 12**

When they returned to Vanaheim, Vallera noticed significant progress had been made on the construction. The buildings may even be restored by the end of the week. The civilians of Vanaheim lined the streets to greet their victorious soldiers with cheers, throwing flowers at their feet.

Vallera sent Loki to be bathed and put to bed when they reached the castle. He still hadn't regained consciousness but his color had returned. Vallera bathed and changed then talked to her council. They strongly urged her to host a feast to honor her coronation and celebrate their victory. She reluctantly gave in since it would be good for citizen moral. She hoped it wouldn't be a big ordeal with only a few hours to throw it together.

Quietly entering the room Loki had been brought to, she saw he was sleeping peacefully. Vallera looked him over then curled up in a chair in the corner. Closing her eyes she fell into a much needed sleep.

XxX

Sleep, deep and dreamless. At least until a handmaiden came and gently woke the queen. She blinked, disoriented. "Your grace, it's time to dress for the feast." Vallera nodded, still half asleep.

She had begun to realize she was laying a bed but she didn't remember getting up from the chair in Loki's room. Waking further, she realized this was Loki's room. He was gone and she was in his bed. Did he put her there when he got up?

Two more handmaidens came in. One with a dress in her arms, the other with a silk pillow that held a crown. The dress was a flowing black dress that pooled at her feet with straps that hung off her shoulders and silver lace around the edges. The handmaidens piled her hair on her head and placed the crown of silver leaves flowers with black and green jewels atop. Everything along with the jewelry they adorned her with felt like far too much for Vallera but she felt obligated to wear the costume.

Entering the feast hall to cheering socialites, Vallera made a quick speech in memorium of Freyr and of their victory. She sat where her brother had sat at the previous seat and wished desperately that he still filled it. But it wasn't just her brother's absence she felt, it was Loki's as well. She hadn't seen him since waking. She felt horribly awkward as everyone came up for their turn to offer their congratulations, her eyes scanning the faces filling the room.

XxX

Thor wandered the crowded party, there merely to be polite since he was no longer needed, he would head back to Asgard in the morning. His mind was heavily debating itself on what to do about Loki. He couldn't merely leave him here in peace, much as he wanted to, that wouldn't bode well with the Allfather. Now that Vallera had declared him a citizen of Vanaheim he couldn't just arrest him and bring him back to Asgard, that could spark a war and that was the last thing Thor wanted.

Speak of the devil, Thor spotted Loki standing at the back of the room. "I'm suprised to see you lurking back here, brother."

"And where else would I be lurking?"

"I only meant I expected you would be up there with the lady Vallera."

"War is ended. I am no longer needed," he stated.

Thor looked at his brother, confused. "You truly do not see it?" Loki raised a brow. "I think you have been spotted," Thor said. Loki turned and saw Vallera looking at him. When their eyes met, Vallera made a small nod towards the door. Loki bowed his head slightly then exited, Thor wearing a small smile behind his brother's back.

They met on the same balcony they had spoken on at the previous feast. "I half expected you to not to come tonight. I haven't seen you since you woke," Vallera said. "How's your shoulder?"

"Well," Loki nodded. "I believe I owe you a thanks."

Vallera smiled. "We both know you won't." Loki smirked. "Do you have plans?"

"I haven't given it much thought."

Vallera narrowed her eyes. "I find that hard to believe."

"What have I done to earn such mistrust?" he teased.

"You're never a man to not have a plan. Whatever they may be, I hope you'll consider staying around, gods know I could use the help."

"You have an offer for me?" he asked, intrigued.

"There's no denying how much you have helped me since we've met..."

"You mean since you hunted me down and coerced me into a war..." he said with a smirk.

"Exactly," Vallera said with a laugh. "You have been a great asset to Vanaheim. I would have died if not for your training and Vanaheim could have easily fallen into chaos without your order."

Loki stepped closer, picking up on her nerves she was trying to hide. "Not that I don't love a good stroke to the ego, but have you a point?"

"You want me to say it?" she stared him down. This wicked smile on his face told her 'yes'. "I need you."

"Was that so hard?" he mocked.

"Yes." Loki chuckled. Vallera noted how close they were now standing. "Loki, I..."

"Am I interrupting?" Thor asked from the doorway. Vallera fought back a blush and tried to step away from Loki, knowing what this would look like, but Loki put a hand on her lower back to hold her in place.

"Yes. What do you need?" Vallera asked, trying to remain nonchalant.

"I need to know what you intend to do with Loki. He has crimes still unanswered for."

"And saving a realm means nothing?" she asked.

Thor gave a sympathetic look. "I know he has done much for you and for Vanaheim..."

"Loki is a citizen of Vanaheim and my responsibility. I have promised him freedom here and I would keep my word."

"I know. You have done much for my brother and I would leave him in peace if it were my decision," Thor said regretfully.

"The Allfather can speak with me himself if he has issue with what I do with my citizens," Vallera said with stern determination, to speak against the Allfather was a dangerous feat.

Thor looked at her inquisitivly. "You would risk war for him?"

"I would make him my king," she let slip. "He has proven himself to me most worthy of the title," she said trying to deflect from the implications of what she just said.

"You would have me as your king?" Loki asked seriously.

Vallera tried to think fast to avoid admitting her true reason. "As I have said. You have helped Vanaheim greatly and have proven your leadership. I need you around. If making you king keeps you here..."

Thor saw the look on her face and knew, he had seen that look before, on Jane, on his mother. Loki belonged here now and Thor really did wish his brother peace. He may have Odin to contend with, but Thor had made up his mind. "Then I'll take me leave," he said with a bow and smiled to himself as he left.

After a moment of silence, Vallera looked up at Loki. "So... What do you make of my offer?"

"Which offer? The one to be advisor..." He loomed over her now. "Or to be king?"

"That depends," she stared him down, closing what little distance there was between them.

"On?" he asked.

"What am I to you?"

"You are my queen," he said, an answer to either. Vallera narrowed her eyes, unamused by his vagueness. Loki smiled at her frustration. "What am I to you?" he asked in turn, hands now resting on her waist.

There was no denying it now. "You are my king." With that, he stole her lips in a passionate kiss.

XxX

 _*That's it for this story. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are always welcome. There may be a sequel in the future if I can think of another story for them but that's all for now. Thanks for reading._

 _A special thanks to Perpecede Celequex (P.C.) for the constructive reviews along the way._

 _-Hel*_


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